For those who don't know, most restaurants will have an expeditor (expo), someone who organizes the food tickets for the wait staff and sends it out if it's ready. Sounds like an easy enough job, right? Until you get slammed with three full boards with more tickets stacked on the end, a window full of food that you can't take anywhere because you're missing an item from each ticket, and you're frantically trying to remember which burger is which temperature. Here's just a few of the hundred thoughts that fly through your head during one shift as an expo.
1. Wow the day shift didn't stock anything.
2. Better fill sauces in case we get slammed tonight.
3. How is it only 5:30? I've been here forever!
4. It's 6 o'clock and no one's really here... maybe we won't be too busy tonight.
5. WRONG. I WAS WRONG.
6. Where the heck is my runner? I sent you out with two food items like 20 minutes ago and -- oh there she is.
7. Sauces, need to make sure I have all the sauces ready so I can send these babies on their way ASAP!
8. Where's the appetizer for 602? Their food is already starting to come up, come on fryer guy.
9. Where the hell did all my sauces go?
10. All right medium loaded burger gets sweet potato fries, medium well loaded burger gets fruit, and... crap what's the temp of this burger?
11. Rarer on the right!
12. Where did all of these tickets come from?!
13. Crap, my runner is gone and I have three other tickets I can sell... Bus boy! Hey! Can you run real quick?
14. I swear, this waitress never runs her own food.
15. Why is my runner filling drinks for a table? Where the hell is the waitress?!
16. Great, a 12-top just walked in without a reservation.
17. Bless you bus boy and counter girl for coming back to help run food!
18. Okay one of these waitresses is definitely taking sauces while I'm not looking.
19. Who orders hot soup in the middle of summer?!
20. Quick, go tell all the waitresses we have three sides of the day left and then we're switching to broccoli bacon salad!
21. Quiche and fish and chips? This table is definitely two old people.
22. This filet is no mash! Sorry guys!
23. Alright that plate looks totally unfamiliar, it must be the special.
24. Okay the 12-top is up GO GO GO!
25. That went better than expected.
26. Yes, it's too late for your indecisive customer to change their order.
27. Oh, someone ordered something off the menu because "he always gets it and it used to be on the menu before and our boss told him it was okay"? You must be so special.
28. So basically this customer ordered a salad with so many mods that it's a completely different salad... No it's fine.
29. I'm going to hear that ticket machine in my nightmares.
30. No, no, no I have to pee!
31. How is it only 7?!
32. THAT TICKET IS HUGE -- oh it just has a lot of mods.
33. *frantically searches for waitress to ask what the burger temp is*
43. Where is my runner?!
44. These apps need to go NOW.
45. No I will not take this food to your table because you think you messed up their order and they're going to be mean about it. Not my problem!
46. Are you kidding? They sent their food back and want it completely re-done.
47. I'm surrounded by all this food and I am STARVING.
48. Stop coming back here to eat all my fries!
49. *frantically runs to tell all the waitresses that the side of the day has officially changed over to broccoli bacon salad*
50. 86 the special already?!
51. Need a new ketchup bottle!
52. Crap I just sent that crab dip to the wrong table... "How long on the next crab dip?"
53. "Can I start running 621?"
54. Literally all I need is fries to sell, why are they taking so long?
55. It's finally slowing down... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
56. Nope, the host had us on a wait and this is our second rush.
57. Alright, second rush wasn't so bad.
58. Thank god it's 8 o'clock. Power hour, time to start cleaning.
59. I guess I'll be a good expo and stock everything for the day shift tomorrow.
60. All right, all done. Time for my shift drink!
I could keep going, but I think you get the idea. Restaurant life can be incredibly stressful, frantic, and busy, so keep that in mind when waiting for your food. Treat your waiters and waitresses with respect, and remember that sometimes it's not their fault. Nights can be hectic, but making it through a big rush is one of the most satisfying feelings on earth. My job as an expo has helped me to become more organized, confident, and better at handling stress, and it has also given me some of my greatest friends. So keep us expo's in mind the next time you go out to eat!
